Automatic railway block-signal.



No. 829,309. PATENTED AUG. 2l, 1906'. H. M. ABERNBTHY.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY BLOCK SIGNAL.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 25. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

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N0. 829,309. v PATENTED AUG. 2l, 1906V H. M. ABBRNETHY.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAYBLOGK SIGNAL.

APPLIUATIOH FILED JAN. 25. 1906.

3 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

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O l O 71 J/j "Y, "Y :r Y J i Np. 829,309. PATBNTED AUG. 21, 1906.

H. M. ABERNETHY. AUTUMATIG RAILWAY BLOCK SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. B5, 190B.

3 EBEE TS-SHEET 3.

gnueulfoz fCleveland, in the county of UNITED STATES HARRY M; ABERNETHY, OF OLEVELANDQOHIO, ASSIGNOR` To AMERICAN RAILWAY A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PATENT OFFICE.

Appligtin led January 25, 1906. Serial No. 297,883.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that L'HARRY M. ABERNETHY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cuyaho a and State of Ohio, have invented new andg Signals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electrically-operated signal systems for rail- Way purposes wherein a semaphore-arm is actuated by means of an electromotor which is thrown lnto circuit with a source of current-supply, such as a batteri', by means 4of a relay connected with a trac -circuit as the train passes to and from such circuit; and the object of my improvements is primarily to provide a coupling device between the motor and the actuating mechanism for the semaphore-arm whereby the motor will be disconnected therefrom at the instant the arm has been set, thereb,l allowing the motor to run free, the current for the motor being shut off at the same time and the motor bemg allowed to run down without sudden sto page, as would otherwise be the case.

d) further obj ect is to provide a novel locking device connected with and-actuated by the train-cireuit, whereby the semaphorearmwill be held as set by the motor until theA proper time for its release, the arm being returned to its other position when so released by means of a suitable counterweight or other means.' Heretofore electromotors hav-e'been used in connection with semaphore-signals of this character, but there has een no means provided for uncouplin the motor from the actuating mechanism, Iacking whichv the motor is brought to a' sudden stop when the semaphore-arm has reached the end of its travel, resulting in injury to the motor and other runnin e' parts. By mjy' arrangements of the severa device I overcomev this diiculty. and also provide novel features whereby improved results are attained, as will hereinafter ap- P I attain m 'object by-means of the construction an arrangement of parts as illustrated' in the Which- Figure 1 represents the .to portion-of a semaphore-mast and an end 'e evation of my useful Improvements in Automatic Railway'Bloek-4 vline z z in Fig.

-until a train terbalancing weight to parts of myv accompanying drawings, in

motor and intermediate mechanism as oonnected with a semaphore-a m Fig, 2, a plan viewof said mechanism; Flg. 3, a side elevar tion of the same showing in diagram the track-circuit and the several wire-circuits controlled by the relay; Fig., 4, a sectional detail of the clutch devices on-line :n in Fi 3; Figs. 5, 6, and 7, details showing the loc device, 5 being a section on line 'y'y in Fig. 7, andv 7. Fig. 8 is asectional detail showing the construction of the circuit-point on the rela)T connected with the magnet which actuates this locking device.

Like numeralsr designate like parts in the l several views.

In the upper portion of Fig. 1 is shown the top of a semaphore-mast l, in' which the arm 2 1s pivoted at 3, said arm being extended upon the opposite side of the provided with a weight sufficiently heavy-"to throw the arm intoits elevated position when the arm is released from" the motoractuated shaft mechanism.` The semaphorearm is also provided with 'the usual colored bulls-eye for night signalin a rim being located in the to of the mast or this purpose. Upon the sha t`3 is a drum from Vwhich a cord or chain passes toa drum on4 the shaft 5 of the shifting mechanism, whereby 'when said shaft is rotated from left to right the semaphore-arm will be drawn downand set at safety, in which position it will remain passes upon the track-circuit connected wit device lwill be actuate to release the arm and allow it to be sprun up by its counh anger vposition-'- that is to say, the position assumed for the igs. 6 and 7 being-sections of pivot-shaft 'and this s1 nal, when the lock parts in Fig. l-the arm being drawn down ain and set at safety the motor when t e train has assed from t e track-circuit. To effect t e drawing down of the semaphare-arm, the shaft '5 1s coupled by ati-ain of gears to the electromotor 10, the lar e ear 6on shaft 5 meshing with a pinion on s a t 7,`

and gear 8, which is loosely mounted on shaft 7,-meshing with a pinion on the shaft 9. BeL tween the gear 8 and shaft 7 is a clutch device by which the motor is drawn into and outbf gear with shaft 7 at the pro er period to effect' the setting of the semap ore-arm, as will hereinafter appear. This clutch consists of a ring 27, positioned opposite the poles of a magnet 26 said ring being attached to a disk 28 and insulated therefrom b a ring 29, of fiber or other suitable materiali The disk 28 is provided with a hub 30, mounted,l loosely upon the hub of gear 8, upon which it is allowed more lateral play. Pins 31, pro- `iectiiig from the hub of ear 8, enga eholes m diskA 28, b which sah? disk is ma e to rotate with sai gear. 0n the inner face of disk 28 is formed an annular series of V-shaped clutch-teeth 32, and a disk 33, fastened upon shaft 7, is rovided with a similar series of teeth 34. hus when the magnet 26 is energized disk 28 will be drawn to the left in Fig. 4 until teeth 32 are in engagement with teeth 34, and the ower of the magnet will be sulficient to ho d these teeth in engagement, so that motion will be imparted to shaft 7 from the 'motor through ear 8. When the current is cut oi from t ie magnet-coils, disk 28 will be pushed away from disk 33 by reason of the beveled clutch-teeth, and the motor will be uncoupled from shaft 7. In this movement toward the magnet 26 the armature-ring 27 is not permitted to operate sufficiently to contact therewith, since if it were allowed to make contact the frictional resistance would be such as to impede or stop the motor. This armature is simply held within the magnetic field with sufficient power to retain the teeth 32 in contact with teeth 34 while the magnet 26 is energized and motion is being imparted through` gear 8 to shaft 7. While the stationa magnet will act to a certain extent as a brake upon the clutch-armature. which revolves within the magnetic field when the magnet is energized, the retardation of the motor and gear train resulting therefrom will not be appreciable by reason of the manner in whic i the ear-train is assembled. Moreover, this slig itA retardation will have a beneficial effect rather than otherwise, in that it will actas a governor and will prevent the motor from racing.

The power for the motor 1() is supp ied by a battery 11, the motor and battery beingin circuit with relay 12, which in turn is in circuit with the rails 13 which form the section of track controlled by the semaphore, a small battery 14 sup lying the current for this tracl-i-circuit. he battery 1]. and relay 12, together with the motoi' and shifting mechanism for the semaphore-arm,4 are located in a suitable box or case at the foot of the mast 1, the motor and intermediate mechanisms being supported in bearings carried by a bracket or base, .es illustrated in the drawings.

At 15 is a`supplemental relay or magnet for actuating the ock device, and it is also in the track-circuit, as will be seen upon an examination of. Fig. 3. 16on this relay a Wire passes through bindingpost 17 to a post 18 at relay 12, and from the From a bindin `screw bindi -screw 19 on relay 15 a wire passes throug binding-post 20 to binding-screw 23 on motor 10, whence the circuit passes through the motor-coils to binding-screw 24 and thence through the battery 11 to bindingpost 25 on relay 12. From bindingost 20 a second circuit is formed through t e coils 21 of the magnet 26 by way of bindingost 22 and binding-screw 24 on the motor to attery 1l. The cooperation of these several magnet and motor circuits will be described hereinafter in connection with the complete operation of the mechanism.

The lock device by which the shaft 5 is held stationary after chain 4 has been wound onto the drum and the semaphore-arm set in its lowered position or at safety, com rises a disk 35, secured` u on shaft 5 and of t eform shown more clear in Fig. 5. This disk is provided with a pin 36 and has a notch 37, cut in its rim in proximit to said in. On the opposite side of the isk fromt iis notch is a rojection or st o 38, by which the throw of t ie disk from rig it to left is limited. In the standards 50 and 51 is journaled a shaft 43, the axis of which lies across the rim of disk 38, the shaft being cut in half between the standards, allowin the rim to move past it, as indicated at 44 in Fi s. 5 and 6. .On this shaft 43 is fastened a isk 42, from the face of which al in 41 projects into a slot in lever 39, which liiver is pivoted upon the end of the shaft 40, supported in the standards 52 and 53. (See Figs. 5 and 6.) The free end of this lever 39 is ositioned so as to he struck by pin36 when isk 35 is rotated. Loosely journaled on shaft 43 between disk 42 and standard 50 is a second disk 47, from which extends a weight 48. From one face of this disk 47 projects a pin 46, which is engager? by a notch in the periphery of disk 42, and from the other face of said disk 47 projects a pin 49, adapted to engage standard 50 to imit oscillation of said disk. 0n shaft 40 is fastened a grooved disk 54, rovided at a proper point in its periphery with a V-shaped tooth orprojection 55, and passing around this disk is a stop 56, con led at one end to pin 58 and at the other en coupled by a link 59 to lever 60, which lever is pivoted at 61. to a bracket rojectin r from vthe supportingframe of re ay 15. rg`he band 56 is provided with a socket at 57 to receive tooth 55 on disk 54 when the parts are thrown intoA the position shown in Fig. 7. These parts 54 and 56 have been shown in broken lines in Figs. 5 and 7 in order that the other parts of the device maybe shown more clearly.

The lever GO'carries at one end the armature-har 69 and at the other end a contactpoint 62, adapted to engage the contact 63, by which a circuit from binding-screw 19 to binding-screw 16 on relay 15 is made or broken at the proper periods in order to allow for the necessary play in lever 60, and to provos struck bycontact 62at t e so that it may be engaged at t e by contact 62.

vide for pro er contact betweenthe points 62 and 63 flprovide a novel construction whereby a limited motion oi point 63 is permitted after it is engaged by contact 62'; and I also provide for setting this l oint or pin 63 roper time To accomplish tliis end, the pm 63 is housed in a hollow screw 66, which isocrewed into a fiber or other non-conducth ingbushing 67 set in a standard rising from the frame of relay 15, The binding-screw or nuti #19 is also screwed upon the hollow screw 66, so as to hold the socket-wire between said nutfiand bushing and in contact with the screw 66. A second hollow screw 64 is secured into screw 66, the rear end of pin 63 being adapted to slide in this hollow screw and a collar on pin 63, by which said collar is forced out. against the end of screvir1 66 when lever is retracted.' By means of screw 66 the pin 63 is set in pro erposition to be Y proper moment, and by means )f'screw 64 the tension of spring 'may be adjusted.

The operation of the various parts of my device will be as follows: In the position in which the several parts are shown in Figs. 1 to 7 a train is assumed to be in the block protected by the signal and the semaphore is set at danger or with the semaphore-arm ,at its elevated position. As soon as trainhas assed fromthe block the circuit between battery 14 andrelay 1,2, which has been shorteircuited while the train has been passing over track 13, is again established, and the magnets in relays 12 and 15 willbe again ener ized, by reason o f which the armature of reay 12 will close the circuit between binding-osts 18 and 25, `thereby establisliingveircuit etween battery 1 1, motor 10, andnagf.r

net-coils 21. The circuit passes from binding-post 18 through binding-screws` 16 and 19 of rela)T 15, and thence through bindingpost 20 to the motofcoils, thence to battery l1, binding-post 25, and through the relay arf,l The circuit throught binding-screws 16 and 19 is established,J through contacts 62 and 63 and lever 60,Y

mature back to post 18.

which lever is held in the position shown in Fig. 5 by reason of the .position of the tooth 55 on disk 54, which holds bands 56 away from the rim of said disk, thereby preventing armature 69 from being drawn to the ma net on relay 15, which magnet is, energize Y by the track-circuit passing-through the relaycoils. As the circuit 1s now also passin through coils 21 ofmagnet 26 the clutch-disl 28 will be brought into engagement with disk and the motor, by means of gears 8 and 6,`

will impart motion to shaft 5, thereby winding chain 4 upon thlg drawing the sein o depressed or 5 is being i" "a 1 ,W l,chain 4 iipon .the drum es ,faiths uns pin 3,@

be acted upon b This motion of t e armature 69 throws the {im} of said shaft and y 11g-farm d wnyirito its rum of said shaft. elongated in order to allow for the laatse@ i www strikes the lever 39, afterwhichthejfuther rotation of said disk will causesaidleveryby reason ofthe pin-and-slotuconnectioh' 41,to impart motion to disk 42, therebycaiising the halved shaft 44 `to beturnedinto notch 37. At the same time disk 42wil-l engage the pin 46 on disk 47, so as to'throwthe'weight 48 into its elevated position', the pin 49 on disk 47 engaging the standard A5O"to limit'the throw of the said weight, the partsthen assuming the positions shownin *Figi 7. *As the lever 39 is thrown down by pin 36 it also imparts motionto disk54 through shaft 40, causing tooth 55 tobe moved into alirienient with socket 57 on band 56. As soon as tooth 55 comes into register with said socket 57 the band 56 will be thrown in against thefrim of disk 54 byiarmaturc 69,which` is then free to the magnet of relay 15.

lever 60 into its retracted position, thereby throwing contacts 62 and63 out f contact and breaking the circuit i from 4battery 11 throu h relay 12, magnet-coils 21, and motor 10. 'his demagnetizes magnet 26 Aand releases clutch-disk 28, thereby disconnecting themotor from shaft 7 and the sema4 horedrum. The current at the saine instant is shut off from the motor, .but the motor willcontinue to run for some little time after, owing to its momentum. As the clutch'iis released, however, at the same instant" that Athe current for the motor is shut ofi, the 'motorwil'l "be left free to run down without havingbeen brought to a sudden stop when Vthe s'ema' phore-arm has reached the end of its travel.

he lock device has now assumed the osition shown in Fi 7, and it will remain 'in this position unti the track-circuit is again short-circuited by a train passing over it. Disk 35, however, will be allowed a small backward motion until the lower end of slot 37 in Fig.- 7 contacts withshaft 44, after which the shaft 5 will be held 4locked wlth the semaphore-arm elevated until the 'magnets or` relays 15 are demagnetized byjth'eshort-cir# cuitlng of battery 14. When *this*I takes place-that is to say, when a tI-ain passes into' the blockthe armature 69will berele'ased, thereby allowing tooth 55on`disk 54 to Abe` forced out of socket 57 on band 56, because of weight 48 acting through pin 4'6, disk 42,-V

pin 41, and arm 39 to turn disk 54 from left to right in Fig. 7, so as to return said" disk to the position shown in Fig. 5. y is turned by the action of the weight 48 it will turn shaft 44 out 'of engagementfwith notch 37, thereby releasing disk 35 and agllow- 1 ing the counterweight on the semaphore-arm to throwsaid arm up, shaft 5jand gears 6 and 8 being given a backward tu'rn suiiicientto' of chain 4 from' the he notch on disk 42 is ermit the unwindin weight 48 after shaft 44 has assumed t e posimy. of..

r fo

tion shown in Fig. 5. Otherwise said shaft would be turned against the rim of disk 35, so as to pinch said rim and prevent the disk from rotating. The movement of disk 35 from right to left is limited by reason of the stop 38 coming against shaft 44, thereby preventing the further unwindin of chain 4 from the drum on shaft 5 an limiting the movement of the semaphore-arm in this direction. B the release of armature 69 the lever 60 is t rown so as to bring point'762 and pin 63 again into contact, and the circuit between bindiiig-screws 16 and 19 is'restablished'. As relay l2 has been also short-circuited from battery 14 the circuit between binding-posts 18 and 25 is broken, and the motor is therefore cut out from battery 1l. All arts have therefore been returned to the position assumed for them in Figs. 1 to 6, inelusive, and will so remain until the train has passed from the block, after which the operav tion of Vthe several parts will be repeated to set the semaphore at its safety osition.

While I have described a particular ferm of locking device in connection with my improvements, I do not desire to be limited to this s ccifie form of this device in combination t erewith, nor do I desire to be limited to the specific form of clutch device shown for throwing the motor into and out of connection with the drum-shaft. Other details may also be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Havin thus described my improvements, what I c aim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway block-signal, the combination with a semaphore-arm and its actuating mechanism, of an electromotor to impart motion to said mechanism in one direction, independent means for reversing said meehanism, a coupling device between the motor and said mechanism, an electroinagnet to actuate said cou ling device, a lock device to hold the seniap ioie in position when the motor is uncoupled, an electromagnet controlling said device, a track circuit and relay controlling said motor-circuit, the lock-inagnet being included with the relay in the track-circuit and the coupling-magnet being included in the motor-circuit, and means actuated by the locking-magnet for opening and closing the motor-circuit.

2. In a railway block-signal, the combination of a pivotal semaphore-arm, connection therefrom to an actuating-shaft, an electroma net, a train of gears between said motor an shaft, one of said gears being loosely mounted on its shaft, a coupling device be-i,

tween said gear and its shaft, an electromagnet included in the motor-circuit to actuate said coupling device, a locking device to hold the shaft when the semaphore has been set, an electromagnet controlling said locking device, a circuit-breaker actuated thereby to cut out the motor and the coupling-magnet when the lock is set, a relay controlling the magnet-circuit, a track-circuitv including the relay and the locking-magnet, and means for resetting' the semaphore-arm when the lock is released.

tion of a pivotal semaphore-arm, a counterweight to move said arm in one direction, a drum on an actuating-shaft and connected with said arm to move it in the other direc-l tion, an electromotor, a train of gears between said motor and shaft, one of said gears being loosely mounted on its shaft, a coupling device between said gears and its shaft, an electroma et included in a motor-circuit to actuate said cou ling device, a lock device to hold the drum-s iaft when it has moved the semaphore-arm into position, an electromagnet controlling said locking device, a circuitbreaker actuated thereby to cut out the motor and the coupling-magnet when the lock is set, a relay controlling the circuit for the motor and coupling-magnet, and a track-circuit including the relay and the locking-magnet. 4. In an electrically-operated semaphore, the combination, wi th the actuating mechanism, of an electromotor,A a train of gears whereby motion is imparted froiii one to the other, one of said gears being loosely mounted on its shaft, a longitudinally-movable member, of a coupling device carried b said gear, a fixed member revolving with the shaft of. said gear, coupling-teeth carried by said members, a stationary electromagnet included in the motor-circuit, whereby the movable member is drawn into engagement with the fixed member of the'coupling device when the motor-circuit is closed, means for locking the actuating mechanism when the semaphore has been set, an electromagnet controlling said locking means, a circuitbreakeractuated thereby to cut out the motor and eouplin -magnet when the lock is set, a relay control ing the motor and couplingmagnet and a track-circui t including t e relay and locking magnet.

5. In an electrically-operated semaphore, the combination, with the actuating mechanism, of a drivin -shaft therefor, a gear carried on said slia, a second shaft carrying a pinion meshing with said gear, afgear loosely mounted upon said second shaft a coupling device between said gear and shaft, a stationary eleetromagnet for actuating the movable member, the siid couplin device, electromagnet, and p nien on t e shaft meshing with said loose gear, said meter and magnet being included in the same circuit, means for locking the actuating mechanism when the semaphore has been set, an el'ectromagnet controlling said locking means, a circuittor and coupling-magnet when the lock is set- 3. In a railway block-signal, the combina-l IIO breaker actuated thereby to cut out the morle a relay controlling'the motor and cou lingmagnet, and a track-circuit including t e relay and locking-magnet.

6. In an electrically-operated semaphore, the combination with the actuating-shaft,of a lockingdevice therefor comprising a disk fixed upon said shaft, a pin rejecting from one side thereof, a notch in t e periphery of the disk in proximity to said pin, a shaft having a cut-away section lying against the peripher of the disk, a lever adapted to turn said shaft into said notch when struck by said pin, and means for retaining said shaft in such position until the actuating-shaft is to be released.

7 In an electrically-operated semaphore, the combination, with the actuating-shaft, of a locking device therefor, comprising a disk fixed upon said shaft, a pin pro'ecting from one side of said disk, a notch in t e periphery of the disk inproximity to said pin, a shaft having a cut-away section lying against the periphery of the disk, a lever adapted to turn said shaft into said notch when s'truck by said in, a disk xed upon the pivot-shaft of said ever, a hinged strap passing around said disk, an interlocking connection between said diskand strap when the lever is thrown, an electroinagnet and its armatur'e, the free end of said strap being coupled to said armature to effect said connection, and a weight to re turn the parts to place when the current is cut o'f from said magnet.

8. In an electrically-operated semaphore, the combination, with the actuating-shaft, of

a lockingV4 device therefor comprising a disk xed upon said shaft, a pin proecting from one side of said disk, a notch 1n t e periphery of' the disk in proximity to said pin, a shaft yhaving a cut-awa section lyin against the l mounted at the side of/the second disk, a pin pro'ectingtherefrom into an elongated notch in t e peri he of said disk, and means actuated by t e e ectromagnet for locking and releasing said lever at the proper periods.-

9. In an electricall -operated semaphore, the combination, wit the actuating-shaft, and an electric motor for im arting motion thereto, of a track-circuit an rela controlling the motor-circuit, a locking evice for said actuatin -shaft, an electromagnet in the track-circuit aving its armature for operative connection with said locking device, a lever carrying said armature at `one end and provided with a contact-point at its other end, and a contact in osition to be enga ed thereby, said lever andi pin being include in the motor-circuit, whereby said circuit will be broken when the lock is set.

HARRY M. ABERNETHY.

In presence of- Jos. H. BLAoKwooD, JAs. L. SKIDMonE. 

